Report: Bomb threat suspect asked police not to tell boss

A Warren man is being held at the ACI after police say he phoned three bomb threats into his Metacom Avenue employer Tuesday morning, forcing the building’s evacuation during the morning rush hour.

Michael Collins, 33, of 237 Market St., was arrested Tuesday afternoon, hours after police said he called in three separate bomb threats at his employer, Water Rower at 560 Metacom Ave.

Mr. Collins was unable to post $50,000 bail with surety and was arraigned in District Court last Wednesday on a felony charge of making bomb threats and similar false threats. Police said Mr. Collins will also be held for 30 days as a court violator, because at the time of last week’s arrest he was serving a one-year suspended sentence on a vandalism charge that dated from last March.

Police said employees at Water Rower discovered two bomb threats on the company answering system when they arrived at work last Tuesday morning. A secretary getting ready for the day also received a third call just after 8:30 a.m., and employees called police and evacuated the building.

Police and a bomb detection team from the state Fire Marshal’s Office arrived shortly thereafter and swept the building, finding nothing suspicious. Police also reviewed the threatening messages, one of which contained rants about the company’s manager.

The caller “wasn’t happy with some of the policies,” said Warren Police Deputy Chief Joseph Loiselle. “So he decided to phone in a bomb threat.”

Police tracked down Mr. Collins by subpoenaing Verizon telephone records, and were able to trace the calls back to Mr. Collins’ home. Detectives Roy Borges and Joel Camara paid him a visit in the afternoon, and he agreed to come down to the station to answer questions. There, he admitted to making the bomb threats, Deputy Chief Loiselle said.

During interviews with police, Mr. Collins allegedly asked officers not to tell his boss that he was behind the threats.